Good location - Decent Rooms
After days of browsing the internet trying to find a good hotel at a decent price which wasn't an old type Amsterdam building with high steep steps, no lifts, common bathrooms and old, small rooms, we came across this hotel through a website recommended by a friend - lastminute.com.
It was being offered at a very good deal and for a 3 star hotel, it was cheaper than the prices of some old hostels with shared bathrooms and bad reviews so we were quite happy when we booked online.
Once we got to the hotel, check-in was very quick - although the receptionist on duty that day seemed to be a bit arrogant - but all was ok and we went up to our room. The room looked exactly like the pictures on their website and it was very nice and bright as there are windows all along the length of one wall with lovely views looking over the tropen museum (which is right next door) and a clock tower - which was handy for checking the time! :) (Don't worry it didn't chime loudly in the middle of the night or anything!!). One slight problem we experienced with the bright window was at night ... for some reason the curtain wasn't long enough to pull all the way across, so in the morning I woke up with bright sunshine glaring in my face! I just turned the other way and covered my face, but if you're one who needs black out to sleep you won't be a happy bunny!
The bathroom was split in 2 rooms - one room had the toilet and a small sink and the other had a shower, sink (hairdryer) and the wardrobe. (It was a bit strange to have the wardrobe in the bathroom, but it was no big deal). One strange thing which annoyed us a bit was that there was an energy saving bulb in the toilet room which took ages to light up enough for you to see. Since there is no window, this is your only source of light. So basically you need to think ahead and give a few minutes for the light to go on before you take a pee!
Overall we had a very good stay. We were there for 4 nights. Room was kept clean and tidy at all times. We cannot comment about the food as we never ate there. They do however serve breakfast and dinner, but no lunch. We thought the breakfast was expensive at eur18 so we just went out across the road to Albert Heijn supermarket and bought some food from there. Note however, there is no fridge or mini bar to keep things refrigerated in the room.
One thing that did bother us was that the website says they offer free wi-fi in the lobby. However, by free they mean they will give you an access code to log on for 30mins only and you have to stay in the lobby. Wi-fi in your room or access to internet via computer in the lobby needs to be paid for. It is possible however to get a 30min free wi-fi code every day - or at least that's what we did - we just asked for a new code.
We found the location to be quite convenient too. It is right next door to the Tropenmuseum and the Ooseterpark (although we actually didn't find time to visit these!). There is a tram stop right outside to the hotel (tram 9) which leads to Centraal Station where you can get a train to the airport - or anywhere outside Amsterdam from there. (It's best to buy a 1/2/3/etc day pass for transport however, otherwise it will get expensive. A one hour ticket tram ticket cost about €5 where as a 4 day pass cost about €19! )
Anyway, you can also find some shops, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. right across the road from the hotel.
Although the hotel doesn't look particularly nice from the outside, inside its very well kept and staff was nice and friendly and rooms were modern, well kept and very quiet - no noise heard from outside. An enjoyable stay which we would definitely recommend.
hotel NH Tropen
